


Write FFXIV 2020

by OpheliaGlorfindal



Series: For Those We Have Lost... [6]
Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: A Realm Reborn Spoilers, Almost Kiss, Angst, Angst and Feels, Anxiety, Awkward Romance, Awkwardness, Backstory, Birthday Cake, Canonical Character Death, Cats, Character Study, Consensual Sex, Dancing, Denial of Feelings, Emotional Hurt, F/M, Family Feels, Feels, Female Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV), Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn, Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward, Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward Spoilers, Final Fantasy XIV: Stormblood, Final Fantasy XIV: Stormblood Spoilers, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Gen, Grief/Mourning, Home, Hot Chocolate, Hurt/Comfort, Idiots in Love, Late night talks, Lemon, Light Angst, Lime, Making Out, Moonfire Faire (Final Fantasy XIV), Morning Cuddles, Music, Musings about home, Mutual Pining, NSFW, Nightmares, Outdoor Sex, Patch 2.0: A Realm Reborn Spoilers, Patch 3.4: Soul Surrender Spoilers, Patch 3.5: The Far Edge of Fate Spoilers, Penis In Vagina Sex, Pets, Pining, Post-Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward, Post-Possession, Pre-Relationship, Romance, Romantic Fluff, Self-Esteem Issues, Sickfic, Sleepless night, Sparring, Studying, Swearing, Triple Triad (Final Fantasy), Tumblr: FFXIVwrite, Tumblr: FFXIVwrite2020, Unresolved Romantic Tension, Unresolved Sexual Tension, Vaginal Fingering, Wholesomeness, all the fluff!!!, allusions to sex, late night studying, letter writing, shippy nonsense
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-02
Updated: 2020-10-01
Packaged: 2021-03-07 03:02:00
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 25
Words: 15,716
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26249896
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OpheliaGlorfindal/pseuds/OpheliaGlorfindal
Summary: A collection of prompts for the FFXIV Write 2020 Challenge, featuring my WoL, Seraphina Silverhawke.
Relationships: Alphinaud Leveilleur & Warrior of Light, Haurchefant Greystone & Warrior of Light, Hien Rijin & Warrior of Light, Lyse Hext & Warrior of Light, Scions of the Seventh Dawn & Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV), Tataru Taru & Warrior of Light, Warrior of Light & Thancred Waters, Warrior of Light/Thancred Waters, Y'shtola Rhul & Warrior of Light
Series: For Those We Have Lost... [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1792330
Comments: 5
Kudos: 23





	1. Index

In my infinite ~~madness~~ wisdom, I've decided to take part in the Write 2020 Challenge. I'm not sure how well I will do, but I think it's the perfect opportunity to flesh my WoL out a little more. It will mostly be Thancred/WoL shippy nonsense but I'm hoping to include other characters' friendships with my WoL too...maybe even some backstory. No promises, we shall see where the muse takes us. Also, as per the challenge, there is not going to be much in the way of editing so sorry for any mistakes! 

Index  
Chapter Two: Crux  
Chapter Three: Sway  
Chapter Four: Muster  
Chapter Five: Clinch (NSFW)  
Chapter Six: Matter of Fact  
Chapter Seven: Spar (Extra Credit)  
Chapter Eight: Nonagenarian  
Chapter Nine: Clamour  
Chapter Ten: Lush (NSFW)  
Chapter Eleven: Part  
Chapter Twelve: Ache (Trigger warning for those who struggle with self-harm)  
Chapter Thirteen: Lucubration  
Chapter Fourteen: Fade  
Chapter Fifteen: Avail (Late Entry)  
Chapter Sixteen: Panglossian  
Chapter Seventeen: Where the Heart Is  
Chapter Eighteen: Tooth and Nail (Make Up Day)  
Chapter Nineteen: Foibles  
Chapter Twenty: Argy Bargy  
Chapter Twenty One: Shuffle  
Chapter Twenty Two: Beam  
Chapter Twenty Three: Wish (Make Up Day)  
Chapter Twenty Four: Irenic  
Chapter Twenty Five: Splinter  



	2. Crux

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Crux: The decisive or most important point of an issue.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This prompt fits something I've had in my head for a while now. This takes place very early on, when Seraphina had began to regard Thancred as a friend. Spoilers for those who have just started A Realm Reborn... (Not sure if I need to put a spoiler warning, but I will just in case.)

Seraphina couldn’t help but feel deflated when she finally closed the door to the room she had rented at the Hourglass. A dull ache throbbed through her body and her limbs were heavy from fighting Imperial soldiers. Despite her exhaustion, her mind was racing — racing from the knowledge that Gaius had found the Ultima Weapon; from the fact that for a few moments, Eorzea was teetering on the edge of surrender and that had they returned too late, then innocent people would have been crushed under the heel of the Garlean Empire. 

Seraphina dropped her staff to the floor, letting it clatter against the flagstones. She rolled her shoulders and massaged a knot at the base of her neck with her fingers. She glanced out of the window at the inky blue sky; what time was it? How long had in been since she had rescued the Scions from the Castrum Centri? Somehow in all the excitement of the night and the endless debates and discussions that followed, she had forgotten to keep track of the time. 

It must be nearly dawn. It had taken her the best part of two hours to ride her chocobo through the desert from Vesper Bay. Minfilia had tried to persuade her to stay at The Waking Sands, but she couldn’t. She couldn’t stand the tense atmosphere that had descended upon the headquarters. Though the Scions had returned, the place still felt empty and cold...and haunted from the massacre. And she needed to be alone, she needed to process, well, everything.

The bedsprings creaked as Seraphina sat down on the edge of the bed and began to pull off her boots. The massacre — the sight of her friends’ bodies littering the floor, the smell of blood as she entered the Waking Sands, the lack of Tataru to greet her, the odd sense of foreboding that something was amiss — that had all been his fault?

No, no. It wasn’t Thancred. It wasn’t really him; it was Lahabrea. Lahabrea had done this. Lahabrea had infiltrated the Scions. The memory of the way her blood turned to ice when the Ascian had finally revealed his face was all too vivid. 

Had he been lying to them — to her all this time? Had she even met the real Thancred? Seraphina couldn’t help but pull on that particular thread, letting her thoughts unravel. It was hard to conflate the warm, charming man she’d met under the Sultantree with the cold, cruel one who smirked at her as they fled the Garleans. Minfilia was right, it must have happened _after_ Ifrit, when he had agreed to look into the Ascians alone. Unless...like her, the Antecedent wanted to believe that he hadn’t been manipulating them for so long. 

She sighed, running her hand through her dark hair. Minfilia and the Scions had been decisive on the next course of action. They were going to find a way to save Thancred...somehow. She wasn’t sure if they were just clinging onto the false hope that somehow, somewhere the man they knew and loved was still there. Maybe...maybe they were right. Maybe the real Thancred was still in there, fighting tooth and nail for control of his own body and if that was the case...then what horrors had the Ascian subjected him to?

Seraphina felt the steely grit of resolve settle in her stomach. She knew what she needed to do, she _had_ to find a way to save Thancred. She would do all that she could do in her power to save him, save her friend. But if she couldn’t — if the worst happens and it really came down to it, well, then she wouldn’t hesitate.


	3. Sway

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sway: move or cause to move slowly or rhythmically backwards and forwards or from side to side.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one got a bit feels-y and I think I lost it a bit in the end, but I kind of like it?
> 
> Takes place during the slog between the end of A Realm Reborn and the beginning of Heavensward.

"Seraphina, is aught amiss?" Y'shtola asked, her tail flickering in concern.

Seraphina stopped dead in her tracks, strains of a familiar melody floated across the main square of Revenant's Toll. 

"Yes, I'm fine," she replied distractedly. "This song — I haven't heard it in a very long time."

Not since her mother was still alive. Seraphina smiled, letting the slow, sad music wash over her. She wasn’t sure of the origin of the tune, but it was one that her mother used to sing to her often; sometimes to help her sleep and sometimes to keep her occupied on long journeys as they travelled from city to city, never settling in one place for very long. 

A crowd was beginning to gather in the square. A few people were dancing a slow, lilting waltz as the band of minstrels continued to play. Nostalgia washed over her in gentle waves, a bitter-sweet feeling lanced her stomach. Seraphina swayed in time to the music,remembering the way it used to be when she was a child — her mother’s gentle smile and the floral scent of roses on her pillow. Always just the two of them, travelling from place to place as her mother played her lute in various taverns. 

That was, of course, until her mother died choking on her own vomit in some mouldy, battered room in the Brume. And Seraphina was left alone; a frightened and shell-shocked adolescent who had no idea where to go or what to do next. She had been lucky though, chancing across a troop of mummers who took pity on a half-starved young girl begging them to let her join them; after all she could sew — surely, they needed someone to mend their outfits? 

“Seraphina?”

She blinked at the miqo'te who was standing next to her, giving her a curious look. Seraphina smiled at her, feeling a little embarrassed.

“I’m sorry,” she explained, tucking a loose strand of dark hair behind her ear. “I was just remembering someone.”

The corners of Y’shtola’s mouth twitched in a small sad smile. No doubt her astute mind was brimming with questions, ones that Seraphina was certain she was too polite to ask. Surely, it wouldn’t hurt to tell Y’shtola some of the less than happy bits of her past? After all, they were friends and the miqo’te was not prone to gossiping about people behind their backs. She could trust her. 

At that moment, Thancred was weaving his way through the crowd, looking harassed as a gaggle of angry women were following behind him. Yshtola’s lips pressed into a disapproving frown as he hurried over to them, glancing over his shoulder to ensure that he had lost his pursuers. When would he ever learn? Probably never.

“Would you care to dance, Seraphina?” he asked, holding his hand out to her. 

“Thancred, I don’t think —”

In the periphery of her vision, she could see Y’shtola’s ears twitching, whether it was in concern or distaste, she wasn’t sure. Seraphina’s eyes flicked from Thancred’s hand to his brown eyes, warm and reassuring. He was giving her his best lop-sided smile, one she was sure he used to get into the beds of many women. 

“Sure,” she said, returning his smile as she placed her hand in his, “I’d love to.”


	4. Muster

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Muster: To gather, collect or summon up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This takes place at the beginning of Heavensward, so spoilers for those who haven't reached that far yet.
> 
> Sorry, for the feels in this. I promise I'll _try_ to write something a bit lighter and less introspective.

“Good news,” Haurchefant announced as he walked into the room, “You’ve been granted admission into Ishgard.”

“Ah, excellent,” Alphinaud replied, “No doubt your father pulled some strings?”

“Of course.” A chair scraped against the stone floor as Haurchefant sat down at the table, grinning at them. “You are now wards of House Fortemps.”

Seraphina picked at her stew and frowned. She glanced up at Alphinaud and Tataru who were both wearing relieved expressions. She forced herself to smile. So she had to return to Ishgard? Never in a million years would she have guessed that she would set foot in that city again. Not after the last time. She stared at the lumps of meat and popotoes, floating in a sea of gravy, barely listening to the conversation her three companions were having. 

“My cooking isn’t that terrible, Seraphina.” Haurchefant remarked, his voice genial.

“Hmm?”

Tearing her eyes away from her food, she looked up at the tall blond elezen who was giving her a warm smile. Tataru and Alphinaud were sharing the same concerned expression. Seraphina felt a small pang of guilt. The pair of them were her friends, all that was left of the nearest thing she’d had to a family in years; but they knew nothing of her past, nothing of the reasons why she had vowed never to return to Ishgard. They trusted her completely, despite all of her recent failings, and she repaid them by hiding her past and emotions from them. 

“My dear, you need to eat.” Haurchefant’s voice brought her back from her spiraling thoughts. “How else are you to muster all your strength?”

“I know.” A reluctant half-smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. “I’m...sorry.”

Trying her best to ignore the curious looks her friends were giving her, Seraphina took a bite of the stew, letting it warm her belly. It was delicious and comforting. Maybe Haurchefant was right. She needed to gather all of her resolve and push past her anxieties, her fear of being flooded with bad memories of the city. And she needed to tell them about her past.

Twelve have mercy on her, it was going to be difficult. But then nothing easy had ever been worth it in the end. She had never told anyone before. Except for Thancred when he had noticed her mother’s lute gathering dust in the corner of her room. Naturally, he had questions and she had provided the answers, omitting most of the details and letting him fill in the blanks himself. But he was gone. He was gone, along with Y’shtola, Minfillia, Papalymo and Yda. 

“Seraphina, what’s bothering you?” Tataru asked, tilting her head to the side. 

Her gaze flicked from the lalafell to the two elezens, they were all wearing open expressions on their faces. She could trust them, couldn’t she? After all, they were the only friends she had left and she owed them her honesty. She took a deep breath, mustering her resolve. The Gods certainly had a cruel sense of humour; taking away the only family she had and forcing her to seek protection in the city that had swallowed her whole and spat her out when she was nothing but a starving, frozen teenage girl.

“Well,” she said, before taking another deep breath, “It’s a little difficult to explain…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TFW you begin to realise that perhaps you are a bit sadistic towards your OC's by making them suffer. I mean, FFXIV is pretty much Feels: the game, particularly Heavensward, but still. 
> 
> Also, for some reason, Haurchefant was really difficult to write. I miss the guy though <3


	5. Clinch (NSFW)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clinch: To settle a matter decisively; (slang) a passionate embrace.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I thought my WoL needed a dose of dopamine, so here is the promised fluff. Also it gets a bit spicy towards the end, so I tagged it as NSFW just to be safe. This takes place the morning after my fic, [**As The Stars Shine Over Ishgard**](https://archiveofourown.org/works/24903025)

Weak sunlight streamed through frosted windows and Seraphina stirred, yawning and cursing herself for forgetting to draw her curtains the night before. Stretching, she tried to roll over but paused as she felt the unfamiliar weight of an arm flung around her waist. That was odd. Curious, she craned her neck to find Thancred lying on his side, fast asleep.

She couldn’t help but smile as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes. She twisted on her side. He had kept his promise to her, he had stayed the night. Not that she didn’t expect him to, not really. Deep down, she knew that Thancred would not make a promise lightly. 

Seraphina reached up and brushed his hair out of his face. He was there; he was real. This wasn’t a dream. Mismatched eyes fluttered open as a peaceful smile graced his lips, causing her insides to melt.

“Morning, Angel,” he murmured, pulling her closer to him and nuzzling the crook of her neck.

She laughed, stroking his arm with her hand.

“You’re in a good mood this morning.” She remarked. 

“It’s not everyday that I get to wake up next to a dream.”

Seraphina snorted and shook her head, her cheeks flushing pink. He was wearing the same self-satisfied smirk he always wore whenever his words made her blush. Twelve damn him.

“You’re incorrigible, you know that?” She brushed her fingers through his hair and kissed his forehead as he chuckled.

“I can’t help it, you look so pretty when you blush.”

She batted his arm playfully.

“Stop that, or I will push you out of bed.”

Thancred barked out a laugh. “I’d like to see you try.”

She tried, half-heartedly to push him away from her, but he didn’t budge. She tried again, but he caught her hands in his. Before she knew what was happening, he rolled her onto her back and pinched her waist.

“Hey, that tickles!”

His cocky grin widened as he continued to tickle her. She squirmed against him, laughing and begging him to stop as she kicked her legs. But he was relentless, his fingers moving to a different spot. Seraphina tried to stop him, tried to bat his hands away from her, but he was too quick. Damn rogues and their reflexes. 

“Thancred, stop —” 

She leaned up and kissed him, long and lingering. His fingers stilled for a few moments as she deepened the kiss and a deep groan rumbled through his chest, reverberating through her body.

“Mmm, I should tickle you more often if this is the response I get,” he said, his voice husky. His hands began to caress her flanks in idle circles.

“Don’t you dare, Waters.”

“Okay, okay I won’t, I promise,” he replied with a snicker, before he gave her a kiss that stole her breath away.

Seraphina moaned quietly as his hands began to wander over her body, sending sparks of electricity dancing across her skin. She ran her hands over his shoulders, tracing his scars and the lines of his muscles with her fingers. She hooked her leg over his hip as he kneaded the soft flesh of her breasts, causing her to arch her body into him. 

“Thancred,” she breathed as she caught the scent of leather and sandalwood on his skin, making her thoughts go fuzzy. “Thancred, I don’t think we have — people will look for us if we’re, ah, late.”

Seraphina felt a small stab of regret at her words. She wanted to stay here in bed with him all day; to feel the warmth of his body against hers and taste the salt on his skin. She wanted to stay cocooned in the safety of their own little world, far away from the harshness and responsibilities of the outside world. But as usual, their duties and responsibilities had to take priority. 

“Don’t worry,” he said, his voice dropping to a low timbre that sent shivers down her spine. “We have plenty of time and I plan on utilizing it well.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Endings are hard. *sad trombone*


	6. Matter of Fact

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Matter of Fact: a fact as distinct from an opinion or conjecture.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is kind of bittersweet. It takes place between Heavensward and Stormblood. It's also phoned in as fuck.

It was a matter of fact that Seraphina had vowed never to play the lute after her mother died. She couldn’t. The happy memories she’d had of being taught by her mother, of sometimes accompanying her as she sang to a tavern full of people were marred by the pain of her loss. 

And so she carried the old lute around as she travelled from city to city, taking on any menial job that paid. She kept it close to her; unable to part with the only tangible thing she had left of her mother yet unable to bring herself to look at it most days. When the Scions had gifted her with her own quarters in the Rising Stones, the instrument had been shoved into the farthest corner of the room to be forgotten and left to gather dust, just like the pain of her past. 

But that didn’t mean that it didn’t hurt when she had to leave it behind after the Crystal Braves had mutinied. Not that it had mattered much at the time, she had been too preoccupied with running for her life. She had assumed that they had thrown it away when they ransacked the Scion’s headquarters. After all, they had no regard for loyalty and probably even less for the belongings of those they had betrayed. 

So imagine her surprise when she returned to the Rising Stones with the others to find that her room had been untouched and the lute still in its corner, still covered in dust but thankfully in one piece. Seraphina let out a loud cry the moment she saw it, taken aback from the sudden relief that overwhelmed her. 

“Seraphina, what’s amiss?”

She glanced over her shoulder, Thancred was standing in the doorway, leaning against the doorframe. His arms were crossed, but his uncovered eye betrayed his concern. She swallowed thickly, trying to subdue the urge to cry.

“Mother’s lute,” she replied, kneeling on the floor, “I — I thought I would never see it again.”

His shoulders heaved and his expression changed from one of concern to a thoughtful look. One he always wore when he was trying to ascertain whether someone was withholding something from him or not. The one that always made her feel as though he could see right through her to the person she was underneath.

“Well, thank the Twelve for small mercies,” he said, his voice soft as he crossed the room and knelt down beside her. 

“Thank the Twelve, I remembered to lock my door before the banquet, you mean.”

Thancred huffed a little, his lips quirking. She pulled the lute onto her lap, wiping away a layer of dust with her fingers. She touched it gently as though she expected it to fall apart in her hands, the varnished wood smooth under her fingertips. A sense of calm passed over her as she traced the bright red roses her mother had painted onto it. All those years and it still hadn’t changed one bit; it still had the same nicks and scratches on it. Her eyes began to well up with tears.

“Angel? Are you alright?” Thancred asked her, rubbing the top of her arm. 

“Yes — just…” she sniffled, leaning her head on his shoulder, “I didn’t — I thought I’d lost it.”

“I know, I know.” He picked up the lute and placed it onto the floor. “Come here.”

Seraphina shifted to face him as he wrapped his arms tight around her. She buried her face in his chest as unbidden tears fell down her cheeks, fingers gripping the fabric of his jerkin. He rocked her gently back and forth, the motion was just as soothing as listening to the steady beating of his heart. They stayed like that for a few moments, just holding each other in calm silence. 

“You know, a fine instrument such as that deserves to be played.” Thancred’s voice cut through the quiet. 

Seraphina looked up at him and gave him a small smile, knowing exactly what he was getting at.

“I’m extremely rusty. Maybe you should play it.”

“I couldn’t. There wasn’t much need for my bard skills in the Dravanian Forelands,” he replied with a chuckle.

“What no need to persuade a beast not to eat you? Such a waste.” Thancred narrowed his brown eye at her words and scoffed. Seraphina frowned. “Sorry, that was insensitive of me.”

“It’s quite alright.” He gave her a warm, reassuring smile. “But I meant what I said. You should play it.”

“I can’t. I haven’t played in years, my skills are more lacking than yours.”

“You could take lessons.” 

Seraphina blinked at him, he was right. It was a crime to leave such a beautiful instrument to gather dust. Maybe she had got it all wrong — associating the object with loss and pain. Maybe the fact that it was still here, in one piece was a sign that she would better honor her mother’s memory by actually playing music again.

“Maybe we could take lessons together,” she mused, “When we’re not saving the world that is.”

Thancred chuckled as he cradled her face in his hands, wiping her cheeks with his thumbs.

“Alright, you’re on,” he replied, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This ended up being longer than I intended. It. Just. Would. Not. End. >.<


	7. Spar (Extra Credit)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is for the extra credit/free catch up day. 
> 
> Spar: To exchange light blows with someone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uuuuh, so I'm rusty at writing fight scenes and thought it would be a good excuse to practise. This takes place at the end of ARR before the banquet.

Thancred's muscles ached as he readied his daggers. It felt like an age since he had sparred like this, to say that he was out of practise was an understatement. Seraphina was running towards him, her rapier raised, eyes full of determination.

“Remember, the trick is to catch your opponent off guard,” he told her as he braced himself. “And don’t just rush at me. Try to exploit my weaknesses.”

Metal clanged as he caught her rapier in between his daggers. Ignoring the protests of his arms, he shoved her away from him. She stumbled backwards for a few steps, trying to regain her balance. He moved closer, striking diagonally at her. She parried his blows, stepping to the right before darting in for another attack. Despite his lack of practise, he was still too quick for her and blocked it before she had the chance to land a hit.

“Good,” he said, his breath punctuating his words, “Try again.”

She wheeled away from him and tried to attack him from the right again. He spun away from her and feinted left. She moved to block him, but he managed to knock her rapier out of her hand. Her eyes followed it as it rolled across the grass.

“Hey!” she protested,“That’s not fair.”

He grinned at her. “Never assume that your opponent will play fair and don’t be so predictable.”

“Right,” she panted, nodding at his words as she took a step backwards. “Right.”

He watched her blue eyes widen as he ran at her with his daggers. She managed to dodge out of his way, almost falling to the ground as she stumbled. She righted herself and pushed her hair out of her eyes. She eyed him for a few moments as she caught her breath, her chest heaving as she clenched her jaw. He attacked her again, but this time she grabbed his wrist with her hand and twisted it, forcing him to drop a dagger.

“Nice,” he remarked as he pressed the flat of his other dagger into her side. “But you’ve left your flank completely open.”

“Oh.”

Sweat beaded on her forehead, sticking strands of her dark hair to her face. Her lips were parted slightly and she was breathing ragged breaths. Her cheeks were flushed with a pretty shade of pink. They were standing so close to each other that he could feel the heat of her breath and count every single freckle that dusted her face. Thancred’s pulse jumped as he felt the ather spark in his body. Her fingers were still curled around his wrist, his whole left arm breaking into goose flesh. He tensed as bright blue eyes stared up at him. There was something, something tangible between them, something that sparked and crackled like electricity. His heart skipped as her eyes flicked to his mouth. Just a few ilms more and he could…

Wait, what? No!

He wrenched his arm free of her grip and stepped away, ignoring every instinct in his body that screamed at him.

“I think that’s enough for today,” he told her, rubbing his mouth. “I’m starting to get tired.”

“Oh, okay,” she replied, sounding small. “Of — of course. We wouldn’t want you to run foul of Y’shtola now, would we?”

He chuckled, he didn’t want to think about the endless lecture he would get from the miqo'te if she found out that he’d been over exerting himself. Seraphina handed him his dagger before picking her own rapier off the ground. An awkward silence fell on them for a few moments.

“Yes, well, um thanks for sparring with me,” she mumbled, busying herself with sheathing her rapier. “I should — I should get going.”

“Yes, of course, you’ve probably got plenty to do.”

Thancred watched as Seraphina walked across the grass and made her way back to The Rising Stones. He cursed at himself. What would have happened if he’d given into his urges and kissed her? He would’ve probably ended up with a black eye.

By the Twelve, what was wrong with him? He’d always found her attractive, ever since he met her under the Sultantree. But now he had gotten to know the woman behind the serious, stoic facade, he had found himself being drawn to her more and more. He drew pleasure from being the one who made her laugh; who made her blush with his flirtatious teasing. At first, it had meant nothing, it had just been a way for him to feel like himself again and to break the ice with her after his ignominy. But somehow, it all felt very different. There was a weight to his words that went far beyond the perimeters of harmless banter and he wasn’t sure when that change had happened.

 _It’s just because she saved you_ , the nasty dark voice in the back of his head told him. _You don’t truly want her, you just want her forgiveness._

And maybe that was really the truth of it. Maybe it had nothing to do with the fact that he somehow managed to feel calm in her company; or that she could look at him without pity in her eyes. Maybe he just wanted her approval because it would mean that he had been worth saving in the first place. That he really was a good person after all.

But what if that wasn’t it? What if it was something...else? No, no. That road was not worth going down. She was his friend and colleague. Their work as Scions came first. Besides, he had only just begun to regain her trust, to jeopardize it now by springing this onto her would be folly. Not that he would expect Seraphina to feel the same. After all, why would she? He was a well-known rake, breaking the hearts of his paramours with seemingly reckless abandon. And that wasn’t including his recent exploits as Lahabrea’s meat-sack. The idea that she would want anything more from him was laughable.

No. It was best to turn his attention to his recovery. To keep being her friend and colleague. It was probably for the best.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I headcannon that once she became a red mage, Seraphina practised fighting with Thancred to give him something meaningful to do whilst he recovered from being possessed by Lahabrea. It's when they began to actually spend proper time together and developed feelings for each other. 
> 
> Endings are hard *headdesk*


	8. Nonagenarian

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nonagenarian: A person who is between 90 and 99 years old.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is phoned in as fuck. >.<

“Thancred?” Seraphina’s voice cut through the quiet calm of the night. “Thancred, are you awake?”

“Mmmhmm. What is it, angel?” 

Thancred stifled a yawn, the chronometer on the wall chimed twice. It was two in the morning and he had been pretending to sleep for the last hour. There was no real reason for his lack of sleep — no nightmares to plague him, no stifling heat — he just couldn’t get comfortable. 

“Have you slept at all tonight?” There was a softness to her voice that made him melt a little.

“No, but don’t worry about me, my dear. Go to sleep.”

“Is there something bothering you?”

“Nothing in particular,” he replied, as he stroked her hair. “Go to sleep, Seraphina.”

There were a few beats of silence. Thancred felt her drape her arm across his chest as her breathing evened. He smiled as he stared up at the ceiling, feeling more awake than ever. It was a beautiful feeling, not just to have someone to care about, but to have someone who cared about you. Twelve knows that he didn’t deserve it, but here they were nonetheless.

“Thancred?”

“Yes, angel?”

“Where do you think we’ll be in ten years' time?”

Thancred blinked, taken aback from her non sequitur. Honestly, he had always believed that his work with the Scions would get him killed eventually. The idea of a tangible future that he existed in seemed far too unlikely to him. After all, in their line of work, people were more likely to die than retire. 

“Hmm, I don’t know. Likely still doing what we’re doing now.” He replied, idly playing with her hair. 

“Okay, what about in twenty?”

“Still with you, still working — ”

“— Saving the world? A Scion’s work is never done.”

“Exactly. Can I ask what’s brought this on?”

“Oh, nothing...just thinking.”

There was another brief moment of pause. Thancred wrapped strands of her blond hair around his fingers. It mystified him how her brain worked sometimes. 

“Okay, well in that case, may I ask you a question?” He said, barely pausing long enough for her to answer. “Where do you think we’ll be when we’re ninety?”

“Ninety?” Seraphina shifted and propped herself up onto her elbows. “That’s quite a leap.”

“Are you going to give me an answer, angel?”

“Um, well...we’ll be old, right?” He could hear her smile in her voice. “I can see us, retired and happy, sitting in the front garden of our house — ”

“— Let me guess, in rocking chairs?”

“And you’ll have a walking stick, which you wave at people when you complain about the youth of today.” Thancred’s lips quirked in amusement as he listened to her indulge herself in the idea of a future. “Anyway, we’ll sit in the garden and reminisce about our adventuring days and — and maybe we’ll have — ”

“Grandchildren?” he supplied, feeling her whole body tense at the word. He couldn’t blame her. After all, they had never actually discussed the possibility of either of them wanting children. It wasn’t as though it was exactly feasible for them to raise a child in a stable environment. At least not in their current line of work. 

“Um, well, yes, maybe — if the opportunity to have children presents itself in the first place,” she babbled. Thancred wondered how brightly she was blushing as she spoke. “And if we both want to, that is.”

He wrapped his arms around her and squeezed her tightly, secretly glad that she couldn’t see the foolish grin spreading across his face in the darkness. Tiredness was finally beginning to cloud his thoughts. The fuzzy feeling in his head came as a welcome relief that sleep would not be as elusive as he had first thought.

“That sounds wonderful,” he murmured, giving her a long lingering kiss on her forehead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TFW you and the bae can't sleep and so you have a random conversation to distract you...  
>  ~~I did have a vague idea involving the Heavensward Hildebrand quests. But I just didn't have the energy to write him~~


	9. Clamour

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clamour: To make a vehement protest or demand

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Takes place at the beginning of Stormblood, slight spoilers. I wanted to try something a little different and outside my comfort zone. 
> 
> I'm running low on spoons today, so this is what you get. >.<

_Thancred,_

_You’ll be glad to know that we’ve arrived in Kugane safely. The journey went smoothly for the most part, aside from our ship being attacked by ghosts at some point. But nobody got hurt this time and I’m sure Alphinaud has filled you in on all the details already._

_Kugane is like no other city I’ve ever visited. It’s brighter and more vibrant than Ul’dah and it’s filled with all sorts of interesting people. And the food! By the Twelve, the food is some of the most delicious food I’ve tasted. Maybe if we can wing it, we could take some time off and I could take you here to sample the food for yourself. If not, then I am sure that I could try and recreate some of the dishes. I’m not sure that I’ll truly do them justice though._

_I’m sure Alphinaud has apprised you of the situation. Almost immediately after we had disembarked, we were met by an associate of Lolorito Nanarito. To say that Alphinaud was upset was an understatement. We’ve joined forces -- he’s offered us the use of his resources to help us free Doma. Yes, I know, I’m not happy about it either. At the moment, we’re searching for Gosetsu and Yugiri, but it’s a task that feels impossible. We’ve been here for nearly a week and we haven’t heard a single word of their whereabouts._

_You know, I think I like Kugane because no one knows me here. No one sees me as the Warrior of Light, I am just an ordinary foreigner walking around a port city. It’s refreshing to be able to go about my day without people clamouring for my attention; demanding things from me and treating me like an object rather than a woman with her own thoughts and feelings._

_Oh! Also, I found your gift -- the hip flask you hid in my luggage. When did you sneak it in there? It really is beautiful and I love it, so thank you. I smile every time I look at it because it reminds me of you and I can’t help but wonder what you are doing and thinking. I think it aroused some suspicion in Alisaie though. She was there when I found it and she had that look she gets when she’s figured something out. Sometimes, I wish the twins could just behave like normal clueless adolescents rather than the mature adults they’ve become; if only so they would stop plaguing me with awkward questions. Maybe next time, you could actually give me a gift in person and I could thank you properly too._

_I think that’s all the news I have for you at the moment. What’s the news in Eorzea? Anything of note? I hope all is well. I wish you were here with me. It feels strange being so far away without your company, almost as though I’m missing a limb. In response to the note that came with your gift, I can’t promise you that I’ll be safe, but I will try my best to stay out of trouble as much as possible. Though, you have to promise me that you will look after yourself in return. And I mean it, proper meals and everything._

_~~I miss~~ _

_Look after yourself and stay safe._

_Yours,_

_Seraphina_


	10. Lush (NSFW)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lush: very rich and providing great sensory pleasure. 
> 
> British Slang: A sexually attractive person.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This got away from me I think. 
> 
> NSFW

Thancred kissed Seraphina hungrily as he pulled her flush against him, the coolness of the water lapping around her waist was a stark contrast to the heat of his body. She could hear the rushing of the waterfall in her ear, blocking out the sounds of the Moonfire Faire floating over from the beach. They were alone, the rocks and cliffs sheltering them from the view of any onlookers. 

“What was that for?” she asked, her voice sounding hoarse to her own ears.

“I’ve been wanting to do that all day,” he said, running his fingers up and down her flanks, “Ever since I watched you dancing on the beach.”

She felt her cheeks flush as she looked at him. There was a dark mischievous look in his eyes, one that sent pleasant little shivers of anticipation running down her spine.

“Is that so?” She replied, running her fingers over his biceps. “Hoping for a private performance were you?”

“Mmmhmm, something like that.”

He kissed her again and she could taste the sweetness of the lush fruits they’d been eating all day. She straddled his lap as he deepened the kiss, running his fingers through her hair. His hands were everywhere at once, wandering over the curves of her body, grabbing and squeezing the soft flesh of her thighs. Her breath caught as he lowered his head and planted kissed down her neck, his hands sliding underneath the white fabric of her bikini top to cup her breasts. She arched into his hands, her body craving more of his touch. He paused, his fingers toying with the knot that kept the fabric of her top tied together. 

“Angel, is this okay?” he asked, the pupil of his uncovered eye was blown wide.His lips were swollen and his breathing was a little ragged.

“Yes, please.”

He gave her a wolfish grin as his eager fingers untied the knot at the front of her top with ease. She sighed as his hands skimmed the fullness of her breasts, pinching and teasing her nipples into stiff peaks. Seraphina dipped her head, sucking on the skin surrounding his archon tattoo, causing him to let out a deep rumbling groan. 

“Careful there, angel.” He rasped, scraping his fingernails down her spine as she rolled her hips against his. 

The molten pleasure that was coiling tightly in her stomach, tightened as Thancred slid his fingers up her thigh. She whimpered as he pushed the fabric of her bikini bottoms to one side and circled her clit with the pad of his thumb. She rolled her hips, clutching the tops of his arms so tight that her knuckles turned white as he curled a finger inside her.

“Want you,” she breathed as she bucked against the heel of his hand. 

Her breath caught as he withdrew his fingers and shifted a little, pulling down his swimming trunks. After a lot of giggling and adjusting positions, Thancred was finally fully hilted inside her, the slow drag of his cock, making the pleasure coil tighter and tighter in her stomach.

“Gods, angel, you feel so good,” he moaned as he drove his hips up into her. “Been wanting this all day.”

They moved in tandem, the rhythm of their bodies slowly increasing as the pleasure inside them reached a fever pitch. The sounds of their love-making covered by the water rushing over the waterfall. Seraphina felt as though she would burst into flames, his touch branded into her skin. She stifled a loud moan as he scraped his teeth along her neck and held her flush against him so that her breasts were pressed against the planes of his chest. 

“Thancred, please,” she whimpered in his ear as he slipped his hand between them, his fingers teasing her clit in torturously slow circles. “Please, I need — I want —”

“Ah, darling, let me hear you,” he murmured, his breath tickling her ear and he increased the pace of his relentless fingers.

It was all too much. The molten pleasure was wound up so tightly that it had become unbearable. She clutched at him, fingernails digging into his back as her release came in a great shuddering wave. She buried her face in the crook of his neck, biting down gently and tasting salt of the sea on his skin in a half-hearted attempt at stifling her cries. He followed not long after, his body twitching and convulsing as he came inside her. 

A calm hush fell upon them for a few moments, as they caught their breaths. She giggled as Thancred nuzzled his face into the crook of her neck. She kissed his forehead, brushing his hair away from his face. He looked up and gave her a gentle kiss that made her insides melt like butter. She stood up and re-tied the knot at the front of her top as he pulled his swimwear up, his silver hair was a tousled mess.

“Come on,” she said, offering him her hand, “Let’s go and watch the fireworks.”

He stood up and entwined her fingers with his. 

“That sounds perfect,” he told her.

Tiny butterflies of happiness fluttered as they walked back towards the beach, still holding hands.


	11. Part

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Part: To leave someone's company.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've fallen behind because it was my birthday and I had to people for a few days. Whilst it was good to take a break, I thought it would be easier to just skip to the latest prompt than try to catch up. I will try to come back and write something for the ones I've missed though. 
> 
> This takes place at the beginning of Stormblood, so it's a bit spoilerific.

“Angel, wake up,” Thancred whispered in Seraphina’s ear as he gave her shoulder a firm shake. 

Seraphina stirred and grumbled something inaudible as she looked up at him with hazy eyes. She smiled and stretched her body like a cat before curling up onto her side and falling back asleep. Thancred chuckled and shook his head.

“Seraphina, come on,” he said, shaking her a little more roughly this time, “You have to go.”

She groaned and pulled the covers up over her head so that all that he could see was the blonde crown of her head. He couldn’t help but smile, she could be so unbearably adorable first thing in the morning when she was still in the process of waking up.

“Come on now, you have to get up, Angel.”

“Don’t want to.” Her voice sounded muffled underneath the duvet. “Too early.”

“I know, I know. But Gyr Abania can’t save itself.”

Thancred frowned as he slipped out of bed and pulled on his pyjama bottoms. He ran a hand through his hair as he stared at the sleeping Warrior of Light thoughtfully. Somewhere from his nest on top of his wardrobe, his nutkin chittered away as he happily munched on some nuts he had stashed away. Thancred padded across the room and opened the curtains, letting the light of the early morning into the room. Seraphina moaned and wriggled, pulling the duvet over her head until she was nothing but a lump of blankets. He sighed as he walked over to the foot of the bed.

“Just remember that you made me do this, angel,” he told her as he grabbed the end of the blanket and pulled. He barked out a laugh as Seraphina yelped and curled up into a ball. She looked up at him, her blue eyes narrowing as he dropped the blanket at the end of the bed.

“Sadistic bastard.”

He snorted her as he picked up the nightshirt he had divested her of the night before and handed it to her. The bed frame creaked as he sat down on the edge of the bed, watching as she shrugged her night shirt back on and wiped the sleep from her eyes, her blond hair disheveled.

“You know, you wouldn’t have to get up so early if we just told people about us,” he said, trying to keep his voice nonchalant. “We would have to sneak around or worry about being caught…”

Seraphina sighed as she reached for his hand and entwined her fingers with his own.

“I know, I know,” she said, “It’s just that I -- it doesn’t seem to be the right time.”

Thancred blinked and raised his eyebrows at her. Of all the responses he thought he’d get from her, he had not expected that one. Once again, he had gotten it all wrong. She wasn’t ashamed of him. She wasn’t afraid of what their friends would say if they found out about their...relationship. Though going by the knowing smirks he had been getting from Y’shtola lately, he was fairly certain that the other Scions already knew about them and were waiting for it to become public knowledge. Seraphina squeezed his hand, giving him a small sad smile.

“It’s not that I don’t want to — I do. And I thought that once things had settled down a little, we could tell people,” she explained, brushing her hair out of her eyes. “But then Papalymo—” She swallowed and bit her lip at the mention of their fallen comrade’s name. “It just doesn’t feel right.”

Thancred raised her hand to his lips and kissed it, trying to ignore the wistful feeling tugging at his heart. He knew that she was right. To tell everyone of their relationship now would be a slap in the face for the others, particularly Lyse. Besides, they had too much to do, to waste time worrying and listening to the misgivings of the other Scions. 

“I understand.” He said as he stood up and pulled her to her feet. “We’ll find the right moment to tell the others. Though it’s likely we won’t have to.”

“I wouldn’t be surprised.”

The corner of his lip twitched in amusement as he dropped her hand. A very pregnant pause passed between them for a few moments. He rubbed the back of his neck, his stomach twisting in knots in a way he had never felt before. The words he wanted to say to her drained from his mind like water pouring through a sieve. 

“So…”

“I should get going,” she replied, tugging on a strand of hair. “Alisaie will come looking for me if I’m not in my room.”

“Ah yes, of course,” he chuckled. His hands balling into fists at the sudden nervousness. “We don’t want her to catch you like this, you’ll never hear the end of it.”

Seraphina nodded,giving him a brief smile.

“I’ll see you later?” he asked, wishing he could keep the hopeful tone out of his voice. “Before you go I mean.”

Her eyes widened and her smile brightened, making something inside Thancred melt. 

“Of course.” She replied, taking a step closer to him.

Thancred bent his head down, cupping her face in his hands.

“Until then,” he murmured before kissing her gently on the lips. 

His heart fluttered as he felt her smile, her hands resting on his shoulders. She sighed as they broke apart, wearing a dreamy expression as she bid him farewell and left his room. Thancred smiled to himself for a few moments, wishing that he could kiss her in public without having to worry about the scorn of others. Maybe one day soon, he would be able to show the world how he truly felt about her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, I don't know about this one either. It kind of got away from me. *shrug*


	12. Ache

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ache: A continuous dull pain in part of one's body. 
> 
> Trigger warning for those who struggle with self-harm.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This takes place during Patch 3.5 so there is a major spoiler. 
> 
> Also, whilst there is no explicit depiction of self-harm in this work, I understand that it might be potentially triggering to those who do struggle with self-harm and I'm giving you a warning just to be safe. (You all need to look after yourselves. It's rough out there)

It was late when Seraphina walked into the Rising Stones. The deserted bar only added to the sombre and quiet atmosphere. She hurried past to her room, pausing as the candles and flowers placed outside of Papalymo’s door caught her eye. She bowed her head, her back still aching from hitting the deck of the airship. The pain anchored her to her surroundings, to the grim realisation that the events that had transpired at Baelsar’s Wall had not been a dream. 

Seraphina clenched her fists. Another friend lost. Another person sacrificing themselves to save her. Another death she had failed to prevent.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered as she remembered all the times the lalafell had helped her with her black magic, answering her endless questions with patience. 

She mumbled a quick prayer before turning away and walking to the end of the corridor. She raised her hand to knock on Thancred’s door. She had been worrying about him the entire journey back to the Scion’s headquarters. It was why she had resisted the urge to run to Ishgard and visit Haurchefant. As much as she needed to be alone, she was needed at the Rising Stones more. More importantly, Thancred needed her. 

She sighed and turned away, dropping her hand. He wasn’t back yet anyway, there was no tell-tale glow of candlelight emanating from underneath the door.

Seraphina let out a deep breath as she entered her bedroom, leaning against the door. Grief overwhelmed her and she tried her best to muffle the sound of her crying as her sobs wracked through her body, the constant throbbing ache of her back was the only thing that cut through her numbness.

She was sick of this. She was sick of losing people she cared about. She was sick of failing people. After losing Haurchefant, Ysale and Minfilia, it was too much. 

Someone knocked softly on the door. Her back tensed as she sniffled and wiped her eyes, trying to hide any trace of her tears. She opened the door to find Thancred standing there, his face was impassive though she could see that his eyes were red. He had taken off his bandana and his hair was loose around his shoulders. Neither of them spoke as she moved aside to let him in, closing the door behind them with a click.

The tension was heavy between them. Seraphina swallowed, trying to find the right words to comfort him. Her heart ached as she held his gaze, the sadness and grief in his mis-matched eyes reflecting her own. 

“You’re back,” she remarked as she unstuck her throat. It wasn’t the best way to start a conversation, but she needed to say something before the silence swallowed them both up whole.

“Yes, we arrived about a bell and a half ago. I couldn’t sleep so —” He swallowed thickly. “I wanted to see you.”

She gave him a flicker of a smile. The rush of warmth that usually followed his words were dulled by the haze of her grief and spiralling thoughts. She couldn’t think of anything to say that wasn’t an endless stream of meaningless platitudes and pathetic apologies for failing their friends once again.

“How — how is Yda?” 

Thancred grimaced and heaved his shoulders. 

“As well as can be expected,” he replied, ruffling a hand through his silver hair, “Quieter than usual and extremely focused on the task in hand.”

“Oh, that’s understandable,” she said more to herself. She bit her lip as she blinked owlishly at him. “And — and how are you?”

“Better now that you’re here,” he admitted, giving her a wan smile as he reached for her hand. “How is your back? You hit the skyship pretty hard earlier.”

Seraphina’s lips curled upwards in wry amusement. Of course, he would deflect the conversation from himself. She was far too tired to push him to discuss his feelings. Hopefully, he would come and talk to her when he was ready to.

“I’m fine. It’s just a bruise,” the lie fell out of her mouth before she had a chance to think. “It doesn’t hurt at all.”

As if to discredit her lie, the muscles in her back spasmed painfully. She seethed and clenched her jaw, trying her best to conceal her pain from Thancred. 

“Mayhaps you should let Y’shtola take a look at it,” he replied, raising his eyebrows and looking thoroughly unconvinced. “Best to tend to your own hurts whilst you have the time.”

“Mmhmm. I will ask her tomorrow if I need to,” she told him, “But it’s late. Let’s at least try to sleep.”

She gave his hand a squeeze as she led him to her bed and turned down the covers. In truth, she knew that Thancred had seen through her meagre attempts at deception. She had no intention of going to Y’shtola in the morning or healing the throbbing pain in her back. In some way, the pain was good. It cut through the haze of her grief, anchoring her to her grim reality. It was a stark reminder that she was alive and mortal and fallible. It allowed her to feel something other than the crushing sense of emptiness and despair that was filling up her heart. It was her punishment for failing to act quickly enough, for not being smart enough to prevent Papalymo from sacrificing himself. She needed to do better if she was going to defeat this new primal threat. 

Papalymo had bought them all time and she wasn’t about to let that sacrifice be in vain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is what comes out of my brain when it decides that it doesn't need serotonin. *comfort eats cake*
> 
> Sorry for the angst. Can't believe that I knocked this out in a night. ><


	13. Lucubration

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lucubration: Intense and prolonged study, especially at night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This prompt kind of wrote itself. Seraphina is a huge nerd for learning arcana. 
> 
> I didn't have much time to write today, so this is short and sweet. (Still working on something for one of the prompts I've missed.)

Seraphina’s brow knitted together as she stared at her grimoire in the dim candlelight. According to the chronometer, it was well past midnight, but she didn’t care. She scratched her head as she read through her calculations.

Something wasn’t quite right. She was certain her calculations were off. But she had no idea why or how she could fix them.

Groaning, she rubbed her face with her hands, smearing ink across her cheek. None of this made sense. Both Urianger and Alphinaud had explained it to her, but it had been as though were talking in a foriegn language. She understood arcanima in theory, using geometric patterns to shape her aether. But in practise, it didn’t quite click. 

She felt a stab of frustration. It was a widely accepted fact that Seraphina was adept at the arcane arts. She had thrown herself fully into the study of both black and white magic when the idea of making music was no longer an option. Even X’ruhn Tia was impressed with how quickly she had picked up the basics of red magic and regularly called her his favourite pupil. But this...this was beyond her.

“Bloody academics making everything so complicated,” she grumbled as she squinted at the diagram she had neatly drawn on the page. 

Seraphina stifled a yawn. It was far too late and she was no closer to solving the problem. Her forehead was beginning to throb. Maybe she could stop by the Arcanist guild and get some input from Thubyrgeim. She was sure that a fresh pair of eyes was what was needed. Someone who hadn’t been staring at the spell for the past hour and a half and could spot something that she had missed. She stretched, tilted her head slightly and frowned.

“Oh for the love of --”

An idea hit her like a bolt of lightning. She scrabbled around, grabbing a scrap of paper and a pencil and began hastily scrawling down some notes. A wave of relief hit her, she wouldn’t have to stay awake all night trying to solve this. She smiled to herself as she pulled the grimoire to her and dipped her quill in her inkwell, maybe learning this new fangled magic wasn’t so bad after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was inspired from when I unlocked Scholar for the first time and was completely thrown because to me, it didn't flow from arcanist quite as well as summoner. I don't play it very often and only really go back and do the job quests when I level up Summoner. 
> 
> I really feel that arcanists are just a bunch of really intelligent people who have no common sense and over complicate things unnecessarily. *shrug*
> 
> Also, I had to go deep into Reddit to research all the lore behind arcanima, black magic, white magic and red magic. *head desk*


	14. Fade

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fade: Gradually grow faint and disappear

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is something short and sweet, well, angsty, as I didn't have much time to write.

Thancred couldn’t breathe. He felt like he was drowning in the darkness that engulfed him. All around him, he could hear Lahabrea’s voice, laughing at him, mocking him and promising him that he wouldn’t never be free; he would never regain control over his own body again.

He blinked, somewhere in the distance was the smallest, faintest glimmer of light. He squinted as it got closer and closer to him. A familiar figure was frowning, her blue eyes alight with steely determination. He could hear Lahabrea taunting her, telling her that there was no chance that either of them would get out of this alive. The silvery light that was emanating from her hurt his eyes as it dissipated the darkness, slowly getting larger and brighter until it swallowed him whole.

Was he dead? He couldn’t feel a thing. It was as though his physical body had dissolved away and he was just floating around. The light was blinding, it was all that he could see and it felt as though the rays of light shone right through him.

After what felt like an eternity, the light faded away slowly and he found himself staring up at the ceiling. He was lying on a firm mattress, the stiff cotton sheets tucked in so tight that he couldn’t move. His head was throbbing and his limbs were heavy as though they were made of lead. A familiar pair of blue eyes floated into view, though they did not belong to the person he was expecting. 

“Y’shtola, Urianger! Come quick, he’s awake!” Minfilia called as she stood up and ran out of the room, her footsteps echoing down the hallway.


	15. Avail (Late Entry)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Avail: Help or benefit

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally have time to upload this. Been casually working on this whilst writing the other prompts.
> 
> I kind of like this one...even if it is sort of phoned in.

“Seraphina, old girl, you look terrible.”

“Thanks, Emmanellian. It’s good to see you too, now let me go please.”

“But Seraphina, I can’t let you go, you look so ill.” The young noble insisted. 

Thancred skulked in the doorway, watching as the elezen attempted to block the front door, refusing to move out of Seraphina’s way. He smirked to himself, watching to see who would budge first. He would bet his right hand that her stubbornness would outlast them both.

“Look, I’m fine. Honestly.”

The young elezen folded his arms and stood fast. If it came to it, Thancred knew that she would just barge past him if she had to. 

“You should rest,” the dark-haired elezen insisted.

“I can’t, I have too much to do.” Seraphina’s voice sounded strained, “Aymeric wants to talk to me.”

 _Of course he does._ Thancred couldn’t help but let the thought sour his mind. It was obvious that the Lord Commander had taken a liking to her. For a politician, he could do more to school his expression when they were in meetings together. Thancred half expected the handsome elezen to formally request Seraphina’s permission to let him court her any day now. He clenched his jaw and decided to go to the kitchen to search for a cup of coffee. It was too early to give credence to such bitter thoughts. 

“Ah! Master Thancred, tell her.” 

He cringed as the elezen’s voice called to him from across the foyer. He dispelled all notions of drinking coffee now that he had been dragged into this stupid argument. Seraphina turned to look at him, wearing a surprised expression.

“Thancred, when did you get here?”

In all honesty, Seraphina looked terrible. There were huge black bags under her eyes and she looked pale and gaunt. She swayed slightly as though it was taking up all of her energy just to stand. He raised his eyebrows at her and frowned.

“Seraphina, I really think that you should listen to the lad, you don’t look well.” He told her, taking a few steps towards her.

She glared at him, her arms crossed defiantly before turning her attention back to Emmanellain. She took another step towards the door and attempted to shove him aside, but it was to no avail. The young man was simply too quick for her in her weakened state. He planted his feet steadfastly to the ground as he blocked her. 

She crumpled to the floor in slow motion. Thancred rushed forwards and caught her before she hit her head on the sideboard. He lowered her down gently, trying to ignore the panic that was beginning to flood through his body. The image of finding her lying unconscious on the tavern floor in Falcon’s Nest flitted through his mind. He felt her forehead, she was clammy and feverish. Good. At least that meant that it was unlikely that she had been poisoned.

“Don’t just stand there,” he barked, glancing up at Emmanellain who was staring wide-eyed at him, “Fetch the chirurgeon and send a message to Aymeric.”

“Yes, yes of course.” The young noble nodded as he came to his senses before wrenching the front door of the mansion open and running into the cold Ishgardian morning.

“Ah, back with us I see,” Thancred remarked as Seraphina’s eyes fluttered open. “I don’t suppose you can stand.”

“M’fine,” she mumbled as she gave him a dazed smile. “Don’t worry, need to … need to see Aymeric.”

He gave her a cynical chuckle as he hoisted her arm around his shoulders and picked her up, holding her close to his chest. 

“I’m sorry, angel, but the only place you’re going is back to bed.”

Seraphina groaned as she buried her face into the crook of his neck. He swallowed trying to ignore the way his stomach swooped at the gesture. 

“Can’t,” she murmured, “Need to save Estinian...can’t lose him too.”


	16. Panglossian

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Panglossian: Characterised by or given to extreme optimism, especially in the face of unrelieved hardship or adversity.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story makes references to my fic, [**Leather and Sandalwood**](https://archiveofourown.org/works/24463468%20rel=)
> 
> At least this challenge is helping me improve my vocabulary...

The room was far too stuffy and noisy. Despite all of her heroic deeds that people seemed fond to remind her of, Seraphina could not help but feel out of place. It was a strange feeling to rub shoulders with the great and good of Eorzea, when deep down she was nothing but a street rat from the Brume. Did these politicians really expect her to have a hand in deciding the future of Eorzea when she came from nothing? Had no one realised that she was a fraud? She was just someone who scraped by, doing all she could to survive and ensure the survival of the people who called Eorzea their home. 

“Is everything alright, Seraphina?” Yda’s question jolted her from her thoughts. 

“Yes, yes, sorry I’m just not used to...all this,” she replied, giving the monk an awkward smile. 

“Me either.” The young woman replied, as she helped herself to another jam tart and stuffed it into her mouth. “But at least the food is delicious. They’ve really out done themselves.”

Seraphina chuckled. She couldn’t help but wonder how her friend managed to maintain her relentless optimism. Somehow, even in the most dire situations, Yda had a knack for finding an upside. She wished that she could do the same. It wasn’t that she was a pessimist exactly, she was just used to maintaining realistic expectations. 

“Yda, what are you doing?” Paplymo’s disapproving voice rose above the general hum of conversation. 

Yda frowned as she swiftly disappeared into the crowd of bodies leaving Seraphina standing next to the buffet table alone. She glanced around the room, feeling a little dejected. Everyone seemed to be deep in conversation with each other, talking and laughing with ease. She definitely did not belong here. Certain that she would not be missed, Seraphina made a bee-line for the balcony.

The cool night air that greeted her was heavenly, compared to the stifling heat of the banquet. She gazed out at the golden lights that adorned the streets of Ul’dah, finally understanding why it was called the Jewel of the Desert. Despite the greed and the abject poverty, it truly was a beautiful city full of vibrant colours. 

“Looking for somewhere quiet?”

Seraphina jumped out of her skin as she realised that she wasn’t the only one standing on the balcony. Her stomach dropped. Thancred was leaning in the doorway, his hair shining in the silver moonlight. Blushing, she remembered the last time she had been alone with him; they’d ended up sharing the night together and hadn’t had the chance to talk about it since.

“Something like that,” she said, standing frozen to the spot. “What are you doing out here? Shouldn’t you be charming the knickers off someone by now?”

She cringed at her own remark. But Thancred merely gave her a wry chuckle.

“I have to admit, my old habits have rather lost their charm.”

Seraphina stared at him, her eyes widened. A small glimmer of hope began to take root in her mind. She tried her best to quash it. 

“Tired of having a gaggle of women fawning over you?”

“Sick of dealing with the consequences of my actions,” he replied ruefully. “Nothing like a traumatic experience to make you reassess your life choices.”

Seraphina felt a pang of sympathy. There was a good chance that Lahabrea’s possession of his body would haunt him for the rest of his life. Though he was recovering quicker than anyone expected, he still refused to talk about his experience. She couldn’t blame him. She watched as he pushed himself off the doorframe and walked towards her. 

“Speaking of past actions, we never did get around to discussing what happened between us...”

Seraphina glanced away, she felt her chest contract and her breath shorten. She felt her cheeks heat up as she remembered the night they had spent in each other's arms. The image of their bodies entwined, his touches leaving sparks of fire on her skin was all too vivid. She supposed that they would have to talk about it at some point. They were colleagues after all and couldn’t let anything get in the way of Scion business.

“--Look, I’m sorry for leaving without waking you,” she said, trying to ignore her heart beating in her ears. Gods, she was terrible. She’d left him without so much as a note. “I was needed in Gridania and --”

To her surprise, he was smiling lopsidedly at her, his hands raised as though he was trying to soothe her anxieties. 

“It’s okay, Seraphina,” he told her as he took another few steps towards her, “I’ve been guilty of doing exactly the same thing over the years. I understand, angel.”

Angel? There was that sobriquet again. The one he had used that night. She strained her memory, trying to recall whether he had used it for anyone else. She was pretty certain that he hadn’t. Did that mean -- 

_“Miqo’te man stealer!”_

The sound of all those angry women screaming at each other in the Rising Stones rang in her ear. It was as though her mind was subconsciously reminding her not to get ahead of herself, not to get her hopes up. She knew who he was, what kind of man he was. Though he seemed eager to change his ways, she was under no naive assumption that it was because of her. After all, he probably tumbled into bed with her to satisfy a need; to just to feel close to someone for a few moments.

But now he was looking at her wearing a soft expression. The same hope glimmered in his brown eyes as it did that night, when he had asked her to stay with him and held her close. Maybe she had got it all wrong. Maybe he did want more than a quick fumble. But then again, maybe she was being far too optimistic and was just imagining things. She took a step back, crossing her arms across her chest as though to comfort herself from the incoming rejection she was expecting.

“Look, Thancred, you don’t need to worry about me,” she said, deciding it was best to be honest. If only to avoid heartache later. “I’m not some naive maiden, I don’t expect you to --”

Her words trailed off and he reached for her hand. There was an odd guarded expression in his eyes. Seraphina tensed as an odd sort of tension fell between them. It wound round them so tight that she was sure it would snap at any moment. He took a deep breath and opened his mouth to speak.

“Ah, Mistress Seraphina. I’ve been looking for you everywhere.”

They both jumped as Sultana’s lady in waiting joined them on the balcony. Thancred dropped her hand as though it had suddenly turned into a venomous spider. He took a step back, rubbing the back of his neck as the young woman glanced between them.

“I wasn’t interrupting anything, was I?” she asked, giving Seraphina a frightened, uncertain look. “It’s just that the Sultana wanted to speak to you.”

Seraphina’s gaze flicked to Thancred’s, her eyes wide in alarm. He gave her a small sad smile.

“It’s okay, we’ll talk later,” he says, his voice soft. “You can’t keep the Sultana waiting, can you?”

“Uh, yes, yes of course,” she replied, distracted. “Later.”

Thancred gave her a courteous bow as she followed the Sultana’s servant back into the banquet, leaving him standing outside alone. Her mind was racing as she wondered what he was going to say to her. Maybe they were just delaying the inevitable. Whatever that happened to be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Endings? What are endings? 
> 
> TFW some random porn you wrote months ago becomes part of your headcanon for your OTP. ><


	17. Where the Heart Is

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Where the Heart Is: A place where you have a foundation of love and happy memories.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More ~~depressing~~ backstory feels. ><
> 
> I just write what pops into my brain, ok? It's not my fault my brain is faulty...

They say that home is where the heart is, but that was a phrase that Seraphina didn’t truly understand until she set foot in Rhalgr’s Reach. She was trailing Lyse as she showed them around the settlement, chatting away and talking to its inhabitants as though she had never left. It was an oddly gratifying feeling to see her friend fit into the general rhythm of the place despite the fact that she had been away for years. 

Her stomach twisted into knots as she felt a strange longing feeling. She had never really had a home. As a child, she and her mother had moved from place to place, never staying anywhere for very long — such is the life of a bard. Gods, she didn’t even know where she was born or what had happened to the rest of their relatives. Her mother was always vague when it came to questions about her family, sharing just enough information to satisfy a child’s curiosity without giving any exact details. Their ancestors hailed from Doma, travelling across the Ruby Sea in search of a better life, spreading joy through their songs and stories. That was until most of them succumbed to plague and the few that survived assimilated into Eorzean life, forgetting their Doman customs completely.

Seraphina nodded along as Lyse told them all about the history of the The Temple of the Fist and the order of monks who had built it. She smiled wistfully. It must be a nice feeling to have a home. She didn’t resent the fact that most of her childhood was spent traveling, if anything it more than prepared her for adventuring. But there was still a gap, a great gaping hole in her history that left her longing for something she’d never had. 

Maybe Ishgard was her home? Ul’dah?

No, Ishgard was tainted by too many bad memories for her to ever regard it as her true home. Though she found a sanctuary and an adopted family there, she would never forget how harsh and unforgiving the city could be. As for Ul’dah, well, that had always just been the place where she studied and worked after the mummers she traveled with could no longer afford to feed her. It was where she had managed to start earning enough skills to fund her studies in thaumaturgy, but she never truly felt as though she belonged there. 

“Seraphina?” Lyse was frowning at her. “Are you listening?”

“Hmm? Yes, sorry I was malms away, what were you saying?”

The younger woman shook her head and groaned as the others looked at her in a mixture of exasperation and concern. 

“I was saying that we should eat some food, before we talk to Conrad again,” Lyse told her, “Is something wrong?”

“Uh no,” Seraphina replied, “I was just...thinking about something. It doesn’t matter.”

She watched as Lyse exchanged glances with Alisaie, who shrugged and shook her head dismissively. Seraphina smiled, surrounded by her friends. Maybe home didn’t have to be a specific place or building; maybe it could simply be the people you have surrounded yourself with.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm fascinated by the concept of home as I live away from mine. Not that I hate where I currently live...I just don't regard it as 'home' in the same way as the place where I grew up, y'know?


	18. Tooth and Nail (Make Up Day)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tooth and Nail: Make a strenuous effort using all of one's resources.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Casually trying to get round to all the prompts I've missed.
> 
> I headcanon that Alphinaud is a rubbish cook, but he can make hot chocolate really well. (You can prise this from my cold dead hands.)

The wind howled, causing the windows in the Fortemps Manor to rattle incessantly as Seraphina tossed and turned, unable to sleep. Her dreams were plagued with the image of Nidhogg taking possession of Estinien’s body whilst she stood by and watched, helpless to stop it.

She groaned and slipped out of bed, deciding that it was best to give up on sleep completely. She walked out of her room and made her way to the kitchen. It was too much. There was far too much going on and once again, she was at the centre of it, trying to hold onto a fragile peace. To stop a city state from plunging head first back into a bloody war that had raged for centuries. 

She frowned as she walked down the corridor towards the kitchen. There was the faint golden glow of candlelight and the unmistakable smell of hot chocolate in the air. Her curiosity piqued, she crept closer to the doorway. Alphinaud stood at the stove, stirring cocoa powder into a pan of bubbling milk. She watched as he frowned and reached for the cinnamon, unaware of her presence.

“I see you can’t sleep either,” she said, stepping into the room.

The young elezen looked up and gave her a wan smile as he turned off the heat and took the pan off the hob. 

“I thought I’d make some hot chocolate,” he replied, fetching two mugs from the cupboard and placing them on the kitchen counter. “He — Haurchefant taught me how to make it once, but I’ve yet to manage to get it right.”

Seraphina smiled, though the pain of their friend’s death was a dull one. It still hurt to think of him, to be reminded that he was yet another person who died for her. She sat down at the kitchen table as Alphinaud joined her, sliding a mug of steaming hot chocolate towards her. She accepted it, letting the heat of the mug warm her hands, and watched as the elezen took a sip and wrinkled his nose.

“It needs more cinnamon,” he remarked, frowning slightly.

The pair sat in companionable silence for a few moments. Seraphina sipped her hot chocolate, waiting for the inevitable questions as to why she was up and about so late at night. But they never came. 

“You know, I keep wondering if we’re doing the right thing,” He admitted, “Getting involved in Ishgardian politics.”

Seraphina took a long sip of her drink, savouring the sweetness on her tongue.

“I suppose it was inevitable, given our work as Scions,” she replied, her voice impassive. There was an uncharacteristic look of doubt on the boy’s face. “We are trying to end a war. We’re trying to save lives.”

“I know.” He gave her a twisted smile, “But I can’t help but wonder if we’re doing the right thing, given that we can’t even save our friends.”

Seraphina frowned, watching as Alphinaud stared into his mug of hot chocolate. Well, she was glad that he had lost the air of arrogance since the banquet in Ul’dah; she didn’t like the way he constantly doubted himself. As though he was second guessing his every decision.

“Look, Alphinaud, I know that everything feels as though it’s going wrong,” she told him, reaching across the table and patting him on the shoulder. “But we’re doing everything we can and as for Estinien --”

“Do you really think we can save him?” The elezen’s eyes were wide with hope. Seraphina felt her stomach twist in knots. She didn’t want to give him false hope. But she didn’t want him to give up either.

“Of course,” she replied with conviction. “We saved Thancred, didn’t we? We’ll find a way. We always do.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know why, but I am stupidly attached to Estinien. He's like the grumpy older brother I never knew that I wanted. <3


	19. Foibles

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Foibles: someone's minor weakness or eccentricity

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't think that I encapsulated the prompt either, but I kind of like it.
> 
> This takes place, kind of pre-relationship when they get to know each other properly.

“Awww, you like that don’t you, my handsome man.” Seraphina’s voice cooed from across the corridor in the Rising Stones. “Yes, yes, you do, don’t you?”

Thancred glanced up from the report he was writing and frowned. His curiosity piqued, he put down his quill and stood up from his desk. He walked across the corridor to investigate the sound of giggling coming from his colleague’s room. He winced as he walked, his body still vaguely aching from the injuries he had sustained at the Praetorium. The sight he was met with when he reached her room was certainly not what he was expecting.

Seraphina Silverhawke, the vaunted Warrior of Light, stoic hero and slayer of primals was sitting on the floor of her bedchamber, dangling a make-shift toy in front of a small ball of black fur. Said ball of fur rolled onto its back as it batted the felt mouse tied to the end of a stick, purring contentedly. He leaned against the door frame, watching the heartwarming scene for a few moments. It was strange to hear Seraphina giggle like a mischievous child, not when she was usually so focused on the task in hand.

“What’s this?” he said, crossing his arms loosely. “Has the brave Warrior of Light finally gone soft?”

Seraphina looked up in surprise. Her blue eyes were alight with pure joy and she was beaming at him. The coeurl kitten mewed as she placed the toy next to her.

“I found him wandering around outside the Quicksand,” she explained, scratching the kitten’s belly. “He looked so lost and hungry, I _had_ to take him home.”

“So you carried him all the way from Ul’dah?” Thancred quirked his lips in amusement as he imagined her travelling with a tiny coeurl poking his head out of the top of her backpack. “What did Tataru have to say about our newest recruit?”

“Oh she loved him! Insisted on giving him some fish as a treat. I can’t see how anyone couldn’t love such a cute, handsome face.”

Thancred chuckled as he watched the kitten leapt into Seraphina’s lap and sat down, staring at him with big yellow eyes. Seraphina cooed at the animal, babbling some nonsense in a baby voice as she petted his fur. The coeurl closed his eyes, flicking his tail happily. It was such an adorable thing to watch, he couldn’t lie. The way she doted on the tiny animal gave him a warm glowing feeling in his chest. Her joy was infectious, lighting her face up and making her seem more radiant than ever. 

“It seems I have a rival for your attention,” he pouted playfully. “How can one compete with such an adversary?”

“Unless, you grow whiskers and some fur, I’m afraid you can’t.” 

“Oh my heart!” he exclaimed, clutching at his chest in mock outrage. “You mean, I must concede? Give up on such a precious flower?”

To his delight, she gave him a bashful smile, a pretty blush spreading across her cheeks. He liked that they could share playful flirty banter, but he liked it even more when his words hit an obvious mark and rendered her speechless. They both watched as the coeurl jumped off her lap and sauntered over to him, weaving around his ankles.

“Aww, he likes you!” she exclaimed, clasping her hands together.

“What’s this, a truce? Does this fellow have a name? If we are to be friends, I must know it.”

“Ah yes, I’ve been remiss. Thancred, meet Ser Tibby, chief rat-catcher. Sir Tibs, this is Thancred, he works too hard, but we still like him.”

“Pleased to make your acquaintance,” he said, bending down to scratch the kitten behind the ear. He purred, rubbing his face against his legs before wandering back to Seraphina and settling down in her lap. He watched her for a few moments, strangely transfixed by this new softer side he hadn’t seen before. 

“I have to say, I wouldn’t have taken you for an animal lover,” he remarked, staring at her thoughtfully. She was like a puzzle box he couldn’t solve. It seemed as though every time they spent time together, he learnt something surprising about her.

“Oh yes, there’s something comforting about them. They don’t judge you or expect anything from you. Except food of course.” She told him. “I always wanted a pet when I was little, but mother wouldn’t —it wasn’t practical I suppose.”

She gave him a sad smile and Thancred felt a small pang of sympathy. From the little she had told him of her past, her childhood wasn’t exactly the most stable. Not that his was either, until he happened to pick the pocket of Louisoix. She tilted her head, giving him an odd curious look.

“What about you?” she asked as she gathered the coeurl up in her arms and stood up. “Did you have any pets?”

“Oh no,” he replied shaking his head, “Never really had the chance. How about we go to the kitchens and see if F'lhaminn has any food for him?”

To his relief, she didn’t push him for more details about his past. He couldn’t help but smile as she hugged the kitten a little tighter and he felt an odd fluttering feeling in his stomach. He trailed behind her as they made their way to the kitchen, his head full of thoughts he didn’t quite understand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When I first visited my parents with my boyfriend, my cat sat on his lap. This is a big deal because she never likes people outside our household, but now she's adopted him.
> 
> I headcanon that Seraphina just adopts random stray cats and Thancred just accepts it.


	20. Argy Bargy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Argy Bargy: Noisy quarrelling or wrangling

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I sort of touched on this before. But I kind of want to write it from Thancred's pov and have always wondered how he managed to get out of it in one piece...

Thancred felt a stifling heat creep up his neck, his chest tightening as he watched the scene playing out in front of him. Four women were screaming insults at each other,whilst a fifth was tugging at his arm, trying to drag him away. 

“Miqo’te man stealer!” The blonde haired hyur woman yelled.

“Watch your tongue! Or I’ll —”

“Ladies, ladies, please calm down,” he said, holding his hands out to placate them. But it was no use.They glanced at him for a few moments, before going back to arguing with each other. Arguing about him. In his peripheries, he could see the other Scions watching with disapproving looks whilst Yda was doubled over in laughter. 

“He said that I was his favourite muse.” The woman tugging on his arm insisted, “Tell them, Thancred.”

Thancred glanced down at her, his stomach twisting in guilt as he saw the hope shining in her eyes. They were fighting because of him. Because he had deceived them, left their beds without saying a word as to whether he intended on seeing them again. He opened his mouth, the constant stream of excuses that had been running through his mind, trailing off into nothingness.

“...He just left...I heard nothing for weeks.” The third lady’s voice grew increasingly shrilly.

“Clearly got bored of you.” The second one retorted with a self-satisfied smile.

He looked up as a familiar person happened to walk past. She stopped for a full minute, no doubt curious what the source of the commotion was. He gave her a small hopeful smile and the corner of her lip twitched. He saw the disappointment in her blue eyes as she gave him a look that said that she had no intention of helping him out of this situation.

Was this the kind of man he wanted to be? Was this the man that she had saved? The type of person who hurt people and ran away before he had a chance to face the consequences of his actions. No, he could do better. He had to be better. He owed these women an explanation and an apology, not a stream of meaningless excuses. He took a deep breath, steeling himself. This was not going to be pretty, to face up to the less attractive parts of himself, but it needed to be done.

“Look, ladies, you shouldn’t be yelling at each other,” he said, heaving his shoulders and sighing, “It’s my fault and if you just let me, I’ll explain…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ugh, endings. *screeches*
> 
> I like to think Thancred took responsibilities for his actions...


	21. Shuffle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shuffle: Rearrange a pack of card by sliding them over each other quickly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This prompt was hard for some reason. Have an unoriginal drabble involving Thancred teaching Seraphina how to play triple triad...

Seraphina glanced at the remaining cards in her hand and sighed. She could feel Thancred watching her from across the table, trying to read her expression closely. She frowned, biting her lip as she carefully considered her options.

“So if I put this card here then —”

“Then you win the game,” Thancred replied, giving her a warm smile.“Congratulations, angel.”

She smiled, tucking her hair behind her ear and looked up at him, confused.

“I’m sorry, but how?”

He placed his cards neatly on the table and reached across.

“Because those numbers here” he pointed at her card next to his blue one, “Equal the same as these here.”

“Oooh!” She blinked owlishly at him. “I think I understand now. I can’t believe I finally won a game against you, you’re like the King of Triple Triad.”

The corner of Thancred’s lips quirked upwards as he chuckled.

“It had to happen at some point,” he replied, his uncovered eye glimmering in amusement. “The student has truly become the master.”

Seraphina picked up her cards and began to shuffle them. She grinned at him, feeling a little proud that she had finally managed to beat him. 

“Would you care for another game?” she asked, “I know it’s late, but what kind of person would I be if I did not allow you to win back your honour?”

He snorted, giving her a wry smile as he picked up his cards

“When you put it like that., how could I possibly refuse?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay beginner's luck!
> 
> I had to look up some of the rules for Triple Triad and I _think_ I finally get the plus rule...


	22. Beam

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Beam: A ray or shaft of light

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah this is phoned in as fuck...
> 
> Set during Stormblood so spoilers if you haven't got that far.

Seraphina watched as the sun rose over the Azim Steppe, slowly painting the sky pink and orange. She took a deep breath, trying her best to focus on the smell of damp grass and the feel of the cool breeze on her face instead of the anxious knot that was tangling itself. It was the morning of the Naardam. The great battle that decided which of the Xaela tribes would rule the Steppe.

And yet another trial that she must win. She sighed. So much of the future hinged on the Mol winning — Hien intended to use his alliance with the tribe to muster an army so that he could take back Doma from the Garleans and free his people. And maybe, just maybe that would mean an alliance and a larger army to help free Gyr Abania, which would mean a stronger Eorzea. 

Seraphina tore her gaze away from the beautiful sunset as she heard heavy footsteps. It was Hien, the would-be king of Doma. He gave her a warm smile.

“I’m sorry, my friend,” he said as he sat down next to her, “I did not mean to disturb you from your thoughts.”

“It’s okay.” Seraphina gave him a brief smile, “My thoughts could do with distracting.”

He chuckled. “Feeling nervous?”

“So much hinges on the outcome of this Naardam, I suppose the pressure is just getting to me.”

He nodded and they sat in silence for a few moments, watching as the beams of sunlight chased away the shadows of the Steppe. She turned to him as a sudden thought struck her. 

“How do you do it?” she asked, tipping her head to the side as she considered him. 

“Do what?” He raised his eyebrow at her. 

“Stay so calm,” she replied, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. “When the future of your people depends on the outcome of this battle.”

He gave her one his frustratingly enigmatic smiles.

“Ah, I would not be doing this if it was not what my people wanted,” he replied, “I remember that and it centres me. Gives me something to believe in.”

She blinked at him. His words couldn’t make more sense. She thought of all the people she was doing it for. All the people living under the boot of the Garlean Empire, all of the innocents she had saved from the Primals. Of the people who died, who sacrificed themselves for what they believed in, what she believed in. She thought of Thancred working far away and the aching desire to see him, to hold him again. That was who she was doing it for. She was doing it for them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I headcanon that Seraphina kind of hero worships Hien a little bit because he seems so calm and wise, and overall seems like the kind of guy you would want in charge of a country. He isn't leading the revolution because he's the heir to the Doman throne and it's his birthright, but because his people want to be free from the Garleans. I think that makes him an interesting character, imo. 
> 
> ~~The urge to quote a certain Mulan lyric was too strong in this~~


	23. Wish (Make Up Day)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wish: feel or express a strong desire for something to happen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ugh, needed to take a break for a few days as I was starting to get a little...burnt out.
> 
> Have some fluff!

“Come on, angel, indulge me,” Thancred insisted as he held out the small cake with a candle in it. “Please?”

Seraphina sighed as she eyed it wearily. She had confided in him that it was her name day but had told him, firmly, that he was not allowed to make a fuss. She was fairly certain that he had already managed to sneak a gift into her room; a book she had been talking about reading had mysteriously found its way to her desk alongside a bouquet of asters and irises, which just so happened to be her favourite flowers. 

“Okay, fine,” she said. “If you really insist.”

“Don’t forget to make a wish,” he told her, giving her a rakish grin. 

Seraphina gave him a small smile as she closed her eyes and blew out the candle. She was not one to believe in superstitions. But maybe, just the once, it would be harmless to indulge in one.

 _I wish that this lovable, boneheaded fool of a man stays safe and happy._ The thought floated into her mind from nowhere. She opened her eyes and blinked at him, his uncovered eye was sparkling. There was a warmth and a softness to his expression that made it difficult to be mad at him for acknowledging her name day when she’d asked him not to. She leaned across and cradled his cheek in her hand. 

“Thank you,” she whispered as she gave him a gentle lingering kiss, hoping that it conveyed how much she appreciated him. He chuckled as they broke apart and leaned his forehead against hers as he placed the cake on the small table next to them. 

“Anything for you, my angel,” he replied, brushing his fingers through her hair, “I was thinking, that since both of us have the day off, we could go and have a picnic in Gridania.”

Seraphina closed her eyes and hummed, the feeling of him running his fingers through her hair was soothing. _This man_ , she thought, _what did I do to deserve him?_ She let out a small, contented sigh as she felt her heart swelling in her chest.

“That sounds perfect,” she replied, beaming up at him.


	24. Irenic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Irenic: peaceful or conciliatory.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Have some more fluff...

Seraphina opened her eyes and sat up, feeling disorientated. She glanced around herself, the room was certainly not hers. It was far too tidy for one thing. Well, except for the desk, which was littered with reports and books with scraps of paper sticking out from between the pages. Her clothes littered the floor, along with a familiar white jerkin and leather belts that certainly did not belong to her.

She rubbed her eyes and blinked as she tried to get her bearings. She felt the comforting warmth of Thancred lying next to her. He breathed evenly as he slept, lost to his dreams. His peaceful expression was one that looked good on him. One that she wished she could see more of, in all honesty. She reached over to brush his hair out of his face, studying his features as though she was trying to commit them to memory. Somehow he managed to look more handsome in the weak light of the morning. 

Seraphina’s stomach fluttered as she realised that this was the first time she had been in his room since returning to the Rising Stones. It felt odd being back after spending so much time away in Ishgard, as though she had stepped into the home of someone else. She remembered the last time that she had been in his room. When they had both finally given into their impulses and spent the night in each other’s arms. Gods, it felt like a whole lifetime ago. 

Never in her wildest dreams, did she ever imagine that she would be regularly waking up next to him, when her duties allowed her to. Never did she think it would be possible to feel this content. She smiled as he stirred and opened his eyes. His gaze met hers and he smiled slowly, making her insides melt.

“Good morning, angel,” he said, his voice sounded hoarse.”Did you sleep well?”

“Yes, though clearly not as well as you.”

He stretched before sitting up, and pulled her close to him. Seraphina closed her eyes and sighed as Thancred pressed a kiss to her forehead, wishing that she could stay like this forever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Urgh, what are endings? *screeches*
> 
> ~~I think I threw up in my mouth when I wrote this~~


	25. Splinter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Splinter: break or cause to break into small sharp fragments; or a a small, sharp, thin piece of wood, glass or similar material broken off from a larger piece.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is the inevitable Zenos gives my WoL nightmares fic that has been sitting in my head since the beginning of Stormblood...

Seraphina couldn’t breathe. Her lungs ached as she was sent sprawling onto the ground. Tasting dirt and blood, she reached for her rapier, trying to ignore the way her muscles in her arms were protesting. Her blood ran cold as she heard heavy, clunky footsteps stroll towards her.

_Get up, you need to get up. Get up now._

Her legs shook as she forced herself to stand. A strange mist clouded her vision as she felt abject terror pulsing through her body. Zenos raised his katana and rushed at her. She gripped her rapier, her hand shaking and sweating as she tried to dodge his attack. 

But she wasn’t quick enough. White sparks danced across her vision as his blade sliced through her abdomen. Pain wracked through her as Zenos tossed her away like a ragdoll, her rapier clattering to the floor beside her. She could see red, it was all over her. Splinters of metal littered the floor — was that his blade or hers? 

_Get up. You need to fight. Get up._

Her throat closed up as she scrabbled for her rapier, but it was ilms away from her fingers. Zenos was walking towards her again. But she couldn’t move. She willed herself to fight, to drag herself to her feet. But her body was too heavy. His footsteps stopped as he stood before her prone form. 

“Pathetic,” he crooned as he picked her up by the collar. “I thought you were worthy, how wrong I was.”

_Oh gods, not like this. Please no, please —_

Zenos raised his broken blade. Seraphina screamed as she struggled fruitlessly, his grip on her was far too strong and she was far too tired to fight, to stop him --

“Seraphina? Seven hells!” 

Someone was shaking her shoulder. She flailed her arms around, trying to bat their hand away.

“No, no don’t touch me,” she moaned, her mind still panicking. “Don’t touch me please.”

Fingers closed around her wrists, their grip firm but gentle. Seraphina struggled and kicked, trying in vain to wrench her hands free from whoever it was who was restraining her.

“Ow, shit — angel, it’s me,” Thancred’s voice sounded somewhat strained. “It’s all right, you’re safe. You’re all right.”

Her eyes flew open and she found herself meeting his gaze. Panic and adrenaline still flooded her body as she took a few heaving breaths. She stilled, her sweat made her night dress stick to her skin. She glanced around her room, her heart still hammering wildly in her chest.

“Than—Thancred?” She said, her voice sounded broken as she blinked at him. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean —”

“Having experienced you hitting me at your hardest, I think I shall live.”

Seraphina frowned as Thancred untangled the bedsheets from her legs. She knew that his jest, though in poor taste, was just an attempt to lighten the mood. But all it did was make her feel worse. 

“I’m so sorry,” she mumbled,unconsciously rubbing her ribs where Zenos had stabbed her, “You were sleeping and I—”

“My darling, how many nights have I disturbed your sleep?” he asked as he reached across to the pitcher of water on the bed stand and poured a glass of water. “There’s naught to be sorry about, honestly.”

He handed her the glass of water, his eyes widening as she accepted it. He had noticed that her hands were still shaking. Seraphina tried to hide her face behind a curtain of hair, trying to hide from him. She sipped the drink, letting the liquid cool her throat and trying to ignore the unease quietly growing in the back of her mind. She could feel him staring at her, no doubt with the same expression he always wore when he was trying to ascertain her thoughts. She stared fixedly at the glass in her hands, unable to look at him and the inevitable concern in his eyes. 

There was a very pregnant pause. She drained her glass of water and placed it back onto the bedside table as Thancred joined her in bed. She half expected him to ask her about her dream. But he didn’t. Instead he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close to him.

“No, you don’t want to do that,” she sniffled, “I’m all sweaty and gross.” 

“I don’t care,” he whispered, kissing the top of her head as he stroked her hair.

Seraphina sighed and buried her face into his chest, inhaling the scent of sandalwood and leather that clung to him. A sense of calm washed over her as she listened to the sound of his steady heartbeat and his even breathing. She knew that she would have to face Zenos again and it was a thought terrified her. She hated how he had managed to get under her skin like a splinter of wood. But for now, it didn’t matter. For now, she was safe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mentioning the prompt word still counts right?
> 
> My boyfriend and I are coming to the end of Stormblood and the idea of fighting Zenos again just fills me with dread. He is pure nightmare fuel and I can't quite figure out why... ~~Fantastic hair though~~


End file.
